Raw Chef Dan is a blog that informs the masses about health and well being as it relate to food and the raw food life style. It also contains news about Raw Chef Dan’s business, events and news.

Daniel Hoyt

April 08, 2014

So a funny thing is happening in my world right now. One of them being a conversation I had yesterday about a possible recipe development job.

First a little back story; Way back in 1999 when I first opened Quintessence we were the only game in town or the whole of USA for that matter. We started out with a very well thought out eclectic and divers menu. One item we had on there was a raw ravioli made from a variety or pâté fillings folded into a paper thin slice of turnip creating a dumpling-like morsel that could be accompanied by various sauces. We actually had to buy a big Electric Deli Slicers to get the precession cuts needed for such thin turnip slices. One of my all-time favorite raviolis we made was the Sundried Tomato and Basil Pâté filling served with Pesto Sauce topped with Black Pepper and chopped Tomato.

Over the nearly 14 years we have been open I have made every ravioli you can think of from basic cheese with tomato sauce to spinach mushroom with black pepper gravy. I remember back when one of our first competitors opened, for years they shadowed my menu. Many times I would put something new on the menu at Quintessence and then they would have the same dish a week or two later. Once in October I put a Pumpkin Ravioli on the menu for the first time ever and days later they had a Pumpkin Ravioli. Hhhaa Flattered? I guess. Kinda pissed? Maybe a little more so.

Other variations with Asian Dumplings and Dim Sum styles thrown in the mix specials floated on and off the menu for years. I remember one of my favorites was the Thai Dumplings, with a Thai spiced filling and Thai Basil Pesto and Chili sauce.

Now the flood of Juice places that are popping up everywhere are carrying a selection of Grab-N-Go raw food products. Being these new shops are hiring chefs from the local area who would have inherently been a patron of Quintessence are now creating for these new enterprises. And of course one of the dishes that most of the new companies are doing is, you guessed it, Raw Ravioli in Turnip Skins. Now they cannot of course copy us exactly because it has taken us 13 years to master our craft and the related recipes. They have tried their best but it’s just not the same; the textures not right, weird flavor combinations … something’s off with all of them but still it is a good dish for those who don’t know any different.

So back to my phone call. I was speaking on the phone with a friend who is working on developing products for a new store. He calls me to help him with the food part. One item he requested several times in the conversation was the raviolis by a particular store here in NYC. He asked me if I think I could copy these Raviolis. I laughed and said are you kidding me? Keep in mind he has known me and Quintessence for 10 years or so. This is a joke right? He responded with a “Aahh, what do you mean”. Then of course I said “why would I copy their ravioli when they copied me? I mean why do you want to pay me to try and replicate a product that is a bad version of the original when I am the guy who made the original they failed to replicate”? That’s insane and kind of insulting.

This is not my first time with this situation and not even the first time with the raviolis; my raviolis. Chia Pudding also keeps popping up in the same manner. “Do you think you can copy so-n-so’s chia pudding”? I’m like, WHAT? Really? Well, daahhh, I don’t know, Ahhh, maybe aahhh, since they copied it from me aahhhh, maybe I could figure out their less than great version of my own creation aaahhh. Hey then I could fix it while I am at it so it doesn’t tastes like shit anymore.

For the past 10 years or so since Chia was brought to the market I have been making all kinds of chia puddings. I figured it out one day messing around with chia in the kitchen. Watching how they soaked up water and became little Tapioca-Like beads I thought, what if the beads where flavored. “If I soak them in the flavor I want they will soak it up and fill up with that flavor. Boom, Chia Pudding was born! Before that people just blended chia into their smoothies or eat them off a spoon and wash it down with water. No One was making food with Chia Seeds.

Since then I have made Chocolate Chia Pudding, Coffee Chia Pudding, Chai Chia Pudding, Yerba Mate Latte Chia Pudding, even Caviar but I’m not going to tell you how here. I don’t want to see it pop up on some ones menu LOL.

I have taught Chia creations to student and served it at dinner parties in parfaits as puddings even Ice Cream Toppings all over Japan and Thailand for the past 8 years. It’s what I have been doing for a very long time.

January 19, 2014

So I have been hosting dinner at my place under the name Omakae wich is a Japanese term meaning "Chef's Choice". My gust "Donate" twords the cost of groceries, Electric... and I mske food till eveyone is full.If you want to come to one of these uiniquly amazing dinners visit http://www.rawchefdan.com/Omakase-Booking.html

November 21, 2011

Whether you had plansfor holiday food or not you will want to get a dose of Quintessences outrageous Thanks Giving Rawgazm Experience.Featuring some of the most satisfying food you could ever eat covering Thanks Giving Staples such as Candied Yams, "Mash Potato" & Gravy, Cranberry Relish, testy soft Breads and an incredible Entry Stand-in Pineapple Ginger Glazed Veggie a la Cream Stuffed Brazil Nut Roll complete with your choice of Pumpkin or Apple Cherry Pie..

If you want to order for pickup be sure to place your order at least12 hr before you plan to pick it up.

Quintessence is testing a new Sprouted Lentil Salad featuring Arugula and the Greens of Red Radish along with their own Kosher version of a Balsamic Vinaigrette made with Raw Apple Cider Vinegar, Lemon Juice, Turkish Apricots, Sea Salt and a hint of Stevia.In this delightful Salad you will encounter

April 28, 2011

Quintessence Launches it's new "Menu Of The Day" A new Set Menu option. A Three course fiesta for $35! Choose from the daily specials or a selected option from the menu. Each week the menu then repeats the cleaver Mon - Friday 5 day cycle. And save room for Brunch Sat & Sun - Definitely a not to be missed Dinning Experience!Discount Coupons available at Restaurants.com

December 28, 2010

Pine nuts are the edible seeds of pines (family Pinaceae, genus Pinus). About 20 species of pine produce seeds large enough to be worth harvesting; in other pines the seeds are also edible, but are too small to be of great value as a human food. In Europe, pine nuts come from the Stone Pine (Pinus pinea), which has been cultivated for its nuts for over 6,000 years, and harvested from wild trees for far longer. The Swiss Pine (Pinus cembra) is also used to a very small extent.

In Asia, two species are widely harvested, Korean Pine (Pinus koraiensis) in northeast Asia (the most important species in international trade), and Chilgoza Pine (Pinus gerardiana) in the western Himalaya. Four other species, Siberian Pine (Pinus sibirica), Siberian Dwarf Pine (Pinus pumila), Chinese White Pine(Pinus armandii) and Lacebark Pine (Pinus bungeana), are also used to a lesser extent. Afghanistan is an important source of pine nuts. In some cultures, it is believed consumption of copious amounts of pine nut may yield aphrodisiac effects.

In North America, the main species are three of the pinyon pines, Colorado Pinyon (Pinus edulis), Single-leaf Pinyon (Pinus monophylla), and Mexican Pinyon (Pinus cembroides). The other eight pinyon species are used to a small extent, as are Gray Pine (Pinus sabineana), Torrey Pine (Pinus torreyana), Sugar Pine (Pinus lambertiana) and Parry Pinyon (Pinus quadrifolia).

In the United States, pine nuts are mainly harvested by American Indians, particularly the Uto-Aztecan: Shoshone, Paiute and Hopi, and Washoe tribes. Certain treaties negotiated by tribes and laws in Nevada guarantee Native Americans' right to harvest pine nuts

Pine nuts are indeed the seeds of pine trees, and you could plant them, if they haven’t been toasted, which is often the case with those you buy in stores.

They’re tucked inside the pine cones and fall out when the cones open. Not all pines make pine nuts that are nice to eat, and most pine nuts are so small that you could easily not notice them. To make matters worse, when they come out of a pine cone, they’re covered with a hard shell that has to be removed before you see anything recognizable as pine nuts.

Although about 20 species of pine make nuts large enough to be interesting as food, almost all pine nuts used for food come from four varieties: Mexican pine, Colorado pine, Italian stone pine, and Chinese nut pine.

It takes a long time, usually 15 to 25 years, for a pine to start producing nuts, and three times as long before production reaches its maximum. This means pine nuts are often harvested wild, which is part of the reason their cost is so high.

There are some similar edible seeds from other plants that make cones. The juniper seed is well known as the main source of flavoring for gin.

Pine nuts are nutritious, having a high protein content and all sorts of other nutrients. There is an interesting phenomenon, however: After eating pine nuts, some people for days or weeks taste something bitter and metallic. If this should happen to you, don’t worry; it goes away with time.

November 27, 2010

Hey everyone, sorry I have been MIA for so long but life has me busy beyond belief.

I am in Japan now as you may know. Last week I did a three day set menu event in Hiroshima to celebrate the 20 year anniversary of Country Grain bakery and vegetarian restaurant in Hiroshima.

That went great, the reponse was very exciting and the food was off the hook.

This was my Spicy Fofu Parfait served with Avo, Cucmber, Scallin and Nira.

Now I am in Osaka where I did a three sitting set menue dinner.

It was crazy, soo much work and such a tight schedule. Today I am off somewhat, shopping and preparing for tomorrows event I will do two sittings for brunch. Then I am off to Kamakura for a 2 day worshop.